1 00:00:15,948 --> 00:00:18,356 What is a cartoon really? 2 00:00:18,356 --> 00:00:19,855 Many of us love cartoons, 3 00:00:19,855 --> 00:00:21,401 most of us grew up reading them 4 00:00:21,401 --> 00:00:23,265 or having them read to us. 5 00:00:23,265 --> 00:00:27,063 The fact is, cartoons have been around a long time. 6 00:00:27,063 --> 00:00:29,082 There are all kinds of cartoons: 7 00:00:29,082 --> 00:00:30,653 strip comics, 8 00:00:30,653 --> 00:00:32,152 comic books, 9 00:00:32,152 --> 00:00:33,781 political cartoons, 10 00:00:33,781 --> 00:00:34,988 single-panel cartoons, 11 00:00:34,988 --> 00:00:36,139 graphic novels, 12 00:00:36,139 --> 00:00:37,550 web comics, 13 00:00:37,550 --> 00:00:39,256 animation, 14 00:00:39,256 --> 00:00:40,671 caricature, 15 00:00:40,671 --> 00:00:42,949 there is something for everyone. 16 00:00:42,949 --> 00:00:44,465 No matter the form them come in, 17 00:00:44,465 --> 00:00:47,471 cartoons elicit all kinds of emotions from the viewer 18 00:00:47,471 --> 00:00:51,203 - happiness, sadness, anger, hilarity, calm - 19 00:00:51,203 --> 00:00:54,106 and can transmit ideas in an instant. 20 00:00:54,106 --> 00:00:56,577 Cartoons are a universal medium enjoyed and understood 21 00:00:56,577 --> 00:00:59,316 around the world and across borders. 22 00:00:59,316 --> 00:01:02,482 This is why they have survived so long as an art form. 23 00:01:02,482 --> 00:01:05,450 But how can a medium that is on the surface so simple 24 00:01:05,450 --> 00:01:09,438 have so much influence and at times be so meaningful? 25 00:01:09,438 --> 00:01:12,193 Let's look at what a cartoon is. 26 00:01:12,193 --> 00:01:14,702 It starts with an idea. 27 00:01:14,702 --> 00:01:16,068 The idea can be verbal, 28 00:01:16,068 --> 00:01:17,002 written in words, 29 00:01:17,002 --> 00:01:19,123 or it can be visual. 30 00:01:19,123 --> 00:01:20,803 A visual idea is simply 31 00:01:20,803 --> 00:01:22,131 a picture, 32 00:01:22,131 --> 00:01:22,922 a drawing, 33 00:01:22,922 --> 00:01:24,843 a doodle. 34 00:01:24,843 --> 00:01:28,086 These ideas come from a variety of places. 35 00:01:28,086 --> 00:01:30,524 Cartoonists might find the idea from observing life, 36 00:01:30,524 --> 00:01:32,175 reading a newspaper, 37 00:01:32,175 --> 00:01:34,195 trawling online. 38 00:01:34,195 --> 00:01:36,585 It can come from a sentence someone said 39 00:01:36,585 --> 00:01:39,663 or a single word heard on television. 40 00:01:39,663 --> 00:01:41,752 Cartoonists are like sponges; 41 00:01:41,752 --> 00:01:46,848 they soak up people, places, mannerisms, clothing, and behavior. 42 00:01:46,848 --> 00:01:48,593 Sometimes they might jot them down 43 00:01:48,593 --> 00:01:51,901 in a little black book that they carry around with them. 44 00:01:51,901 --> 00:01:55,634 Other times, it is just soaked up into the cartoonist's brain 45 00:01:55,634 --> 00:01:59,939 only to be squeezed out later when she is sitting at her drawing table. 46 00:01:59,939 --> 00:02:02,070 Not only does a cartoonist have to be aware 47 00:02:02,070 --> 00:02:03,825 of what she is seeing visually, 48 00:02:03,825 --> 00:02:06,819 but she has to listen to herself think. 49 00:02:06,819 --> 00:02:09,935 In other words, take the incoming information 50 00:02:09,935 --> 00:02:13,533 and select it, shape it, and then use it for a cartoon. 51 00:02:13,533 --> 00:02:14,685 Now that you have an idea, 52 00:02:14,685 --> 00:02:17,301 or something you think could be good for a cartoon, 53 00:02:17,301 --> 00:02:19,034 it's time to shape it. 54 00:02:19,034 --> 00:02:21,597 A cartoon is like a staged play. 55 00:02:21,597 --> 00:02:23,042 A cartoonist is playwright, 56 00:02:23,042 --> 00:02:23,889 director, 57 00:02:23,889 --> 00:02:25,098 stage designer, 58 00:02:25,098 --> 00:02:26,116 choreographer, 59 00:02:26,116 --> 00:02:27,925 and costume designer. 60 00:02:27,925 --> 00:02:29,209 A cartoon has characters, 61 00:02:29,209 --> 00:02:29,989 a set, 62 00:02:29,989 --> 00:02:30,751 dialogue, 63 00:02:30,751 --> 00:02:31,985 even if one line, 64 00:02:31,985 --> 00:02:34,127 and a backstory. 65 00:02:34,127 --> 00:02:36,418 The characters must be dressed to fit the idea, 66 00:02:36,418 --> 00:02:39,100 speak in a way that is natural and forwards the idea 67 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:41,178 or gives the punchline. 68 00:02:41,178 --> 00:02:42,803 Nothing should be in the cartoon 69 00:02:42,803 --> 00:02:47,317 that is not absolutely necessary for the advancement of the idea. 70 00:02:47,317 --> 00:02:50,323 The image and words have to dance together 71 00:02:50,323 --> 00:02:52,668 in a way that makes sense. 72 00:02:52,668 --> 00:02:55,919 It could be a graceful dance, or an awkward dance, 73 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:58,323 if that is part of the humor or idea. 74 00:02:58,323 --> 00:03:00,650 And then the execution. 75 00:03:00,650 --> 00:03:02,855 Some cartoonists sketch the idea with pencil 76 00:03:02,855 --> 00:03:06,178 then ink it with pen using a light box. 77 00:03:06,178 --> 00:03:07,894 Others visualize the image in their head 78 00:03:07,894 --> 00:03:11,125 and draw directly on the paper in pen. 79 00:03:11,125 --> 00:03:12,900 Different kinds of pens are used: 80 00:03:12,900 --> 00:03:16,431 felt-tip, mechanical pen, or a crow quill. 81 00:03:16,431 --> 00:03:18,529 Paper can be light-weight or heavy-bond. 82 00:03:18,529 --> 00:03:21,465 Many cartoonists add gray tone, called a wash, 83 00:03:21,465 --> 00:03:24,467 by using black watercolor and a brush. 84 00:03:24,467 --> 00:03:27,010 Others use a soft pencil for the tone. 85 00:03:27,010 --> 00:03:30,199 Color is usually created by using watercolor. 86 00:03:30,199 --> 00:03:32,519 A finished cartoon can then be scanned and adjusted, 87 00:03:32,519 --> 00:03:36,466 and the caption can be added on the computer with Photoshop. 88 00:03:36,466 --> 00:03:41,250 New technologies are emerging for the cartoonist's use in creating her cartoon. 89 00:03:41,250 --> 00:03:44,397 Photoshop can serve as a tool for color and image. 90 00:03:44,397 --> 00:03:47,545 Some may draw directly on a tablet with a stylus. 91 00:03:47,545 --> 00:03:50,968 The choices at this stage of creation work in tandem with the idea, 92 00:03:50,968 --> 00:03:53,178 and often when the final caption is added, 93 00:03:53,178 --> 00:03:55,563 it gets adjusted yet again. 94 00:03:55,563 --> 00:03:57,353 But, little is left to chance, 95 00:03:57,353 --> 00:03:59,969 except, perhaps, some of the watercolor. 96 00:03:59,969 --> 00:04:03,147 All these elements function in concert with one another. 97 00:04:03,147 --> 00:04:05,993 It's almost like a dance of words, ideas, and images 98 00:04:05,993 --> 00:04:08,643 that work together in order to make the cartoon 99 00:04:08,643 --> 00:04:11,235 a timeless, resilient work of art.